A significant number of people, typically elderly, suffer from chronic respiratory insufficiency due to restrictive airway disease, obstructive pulmonary disease, neuromuscular disorders or other complications. Symptoms of chronic respiratory insufficiency includes shortness of breath, weight loss, headaches and sleeplessness.
To alleviate these symptoms, home oxygen is prescribed by a physician and then delivered to the patient by a home healthcare equipment professional. Oxygen is provided to the patient by one of three modalities: (a) liquid oxygen, (b) high pressure oxygen cylinders, or (c) an oxygen concentrator. Each modality has specific disadvantages to either the patient or the home healthcare professional. Modalities (a) and (b), require the oxygen to be periodically replenished by the home healthcare professional. Such refilling procedures are inefficient and therefore costly. Modality (c) does not provide oxygen in a form that allows the patient to be ambulatory, thereby dooming the patient to a sedentary life style. This can not only be psychologically depressing but also frequently causes further degeneration in health because of inactivity.
There is a need for a compact, efficient, low cost, personal system for continuously concentrating and then providing oxygen in either gaseous or liquid form to a home oxygen patient. There is a further need on the part of the home healthcare equipment professional for a cost effective means for providing liquid oxygen to a home oxygen patient which does not require periodic, expensive deliveries of supplemental liquid oxygen.